Tiresias.org is a website, run by the RNIB Scientific Research Unit, providing up-to-date, in-depth information and guidelines on accessibility of information and communication technology systems.

The Guidelines are divided into four sections for ease of use.

1. User groups provides demographic information and details about the types of disabilities that designers and engineers need to consider.
2. Application areas are the everyday situations where accessibility should be a major consideration.
3. The Technology section refers to specific technological systems such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and smart media and how accessibility issues can be addressed within these.
4. Related aspects are the more general areas and everyday situations that people with disabilities will encounter, where accessibility is again an issue.

The information that can be found at www.tiresias.org initially started life 30 years ago in
printed form and evolved from work carried out by Dr. Janet Silver, formerly of Moorfields Eye Hospital, and Dr. John Gill, Chief Scientist of the RNIB. With the support of the Department of Health, this information was made available on the web in 1995.

Devices
More than 2,000 devices for blind and partially sighted people are currently listed under the headings of: Daily living; Educational; ICT; Low vision related and Mobility and orientation providing information on specific devices, the suppliers of the devices, their contact details and the current price. Picture links allow the user to view a photograph of the device.
www.tiresias.org/equipment

Agencies
This section of the site lists more than 1,000 agencies for blind and partially sighted people in
178 countries. Along with contact details, a brief description of their activities is also provided.
www.tiresias.org/agencies

Scientific and technological reports
More than 100 reports are listed covering a wide range of topics including: smart cards, biometrics, typefaces, telecommunications, television and ICT systems.
www.tiresias.org/publications/reports

Serial publications
Details of the main serial publications covering various topics related to visual impairment.
www.tiresias.org/publications/serials

Fonts
A family of fonts have been designed for use with information and communication technology
systems; they are available as a free download from www.tiresias.org/fonts

User Groups

People with disabilities have very varied needs and aspirations.

When designing systems for use by the general public, it is important to have an understanding of the implications of the different impairments. For instance, eight percent of the male population have difficulties in distinguishing red and green, and many foreign visitors may prefer information in their own language.

The number of people with impairments will increase as life expectancy increases; among older people it is common to have a combination of impairments which can result in problems in using information and communication technology systems.

Visually impaired www.tiresias.org/guidelines/visual.htm

Hearing impaired www.tiresias.org/guidelines/hearing.htm

Deafblind people www.tiresias.org/guidelines/deafblindness.htm

Physically impaired www.tiresias.org/guidelines/physical.htm

Cognitively impaired www.tiresias.org/guidelines/cognitive.htm

Language impaired
www.tiresias.org/guidelines/language_disabilities.htm

Older people
www.tiresias.org/guidelines/older.htm

Application areas

These areas are the everyday situations and environments in which  people with disabilities need to interact and where accessibility  should be a major consideration.

Transport

The use of public transport can be made significantly easier with appropriately designed
systems which can help disabled users to:

 • Plan their journey
 
 • Locate the departure point
 
 • Purchase a ticket

 • Board the correct vehicle
 
 • Know when to alight

The transport section of the Guidelines gives detailed information on how to design such
systems so that they can be used by as many people as reasonably possible.

Household appliances

In the past many disabled people had to rely on modified controls to operate household
appliances. However, the widespread use of electronic controls means that other methods for
providing accessibility have to be considered. The Guidelines include:

 • The design of control panels to make them easier to use by people with low vision or poor manual dexterity

 • How to provide feedback so that the user knows what they have done

 • How to design instruction manuals to be useable by as many people as possible

Public terminals

Inappropriate design of terminals can unnecessarily exclude many people from being able to
access services. It is necessary to consider:

 • The height of terminals
 
 • Seating arrangements

 • Tactile markings on buttons
 
 • Screen contrast
 
 • User instructions

Television

The use of appropriate subtitling, clean audio, audio description and signing can improve the
accessibility of television broadcasts. However, interactive television may require adaptations to
the user interface.

Other Guidelines include:

 • Accessible tourism

 • Chip and pin

 • Computer hardware

 • Computer software

 • eVoting

 • Interactive voice response

 • Mobile phones

 • Queue management systems

 • Signage

 • Smart homes

 • Website accessibility 
 
 
  
 Technology
 
 These Guidelines refer to specific technological systems such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and smart media and how these can be made more accessible for people with disabilities and older people.
 
 Displays
 
 It is important to choose the appropriate type of technology for the specific application
 taking into account factors such as:
 
 • Ambient lighting (including sunlight)
 
 • Viewing angle
 
 • Blurring of moving text
 
 How the information is formatted will also make a significant difference to the readability of
 the display.

 Smart card systems
 
 The introduction of smart card ticketing offers exciting possibilities for making services easier to use by people with disabilities and older people. For example, the card can hold information on how the user would like the terminal to operate (eg larger characters on the screen). Such facilities could also help visitors by displaying the information in their preferred language.
 
 Near Field Communication (NFC)
 
 NFC offers many advantages for people with disabilities but consideration needs to be given
 to:
 • A standard icon, both visual and tactile, to indicate a NFC touch pad
 
 • The consistent height of touch pads

 • Using a standard signal to indicate a successful transaction

 • Using a different standard signal to indicate a failed or incomplete transaction

 Biometric systems
 
 As the need increases to provide more secure authentication, there is a risk that some sections of society will be excluded from using services to which they have been accustomed. However, by appropriate design the number of people excluded can be minimised. At the same time, some groups of people with disabilities could find their access improved since the appropriate biometric systems will be easier to operate and give them more confidence that their transactions are secure.
 
 Other Guidelines include:
 
 • Audio output
 
 • Fonts
 
 • Icons
 
 • Keypads
 
 • Privacy shields
 
 • Touch screens
 
 • RFID
 
 • Remote controls
 
 • Help facilities
 
  
 Related aspects

 The Guidelines offer advice for more general areas and everyday situations that people with disabilities and older people will encounter, where accessibility is again an issue.

 Legislation
 Increasingly legislation and mandatory regulation are being used to make organisations provide accessible systems and services. It would be unwise not to be cogniscent of the relevant requirements.

 Accessible events

 Meetings vary from one-to-one to conferences and exhibitions. People with disabilities should not be excluded from participating, but this may involve:

 • Limiting ambient noise

 • Provision of information in alternative formats

 • Providing speech to text display

 • Providing an audio description of visual presentations

 • Proving appropriate facilities for wheelchair users

 Instructions

 Information needs to be provided in an accessible way for users with disabilities:

 • Printed versions need to use an appropriate typeface and layout

 • Alternative formats (eg audio) should be provided

 • Allow for readers who have limited understanding of English
 
 Standards

 It is important to comply with the relevant standards but identifying the standards which are appropriate may not be obvious. All too often accessibility of information and communication technology systems is embedded in more general standards. The website contains a comprehensive list of relevant standards.
 
 Inclusive design
 
 The increasing interest in adopting an inclusive design approach is because of a greater
 awareness of:
 
 • The increase in the older population
 
 • Changing consumer expectations, particularly with regard to retirement
 
 • New legislation
 
 • New procurement policies
 
 Other Guidelines include:
 
 • Privacy
 
 • Training
 
 • Wheelchair requirements